“I knew I could depend on you to make the right decision, Wu.�

Bellatrix’s face split into a wicked grin as the familiar insane fire began to rage within her eyes. She slid her long pale fingers into the depths of her robes and slowly sheathed her wand. Anne looked steadily at Bellatrix as she did so.

Although it took Anne most of her energy and consciousness to remain standing, the shock of meeting Bellatrix was beginning to wear off, and some of her weariness was melting away with it. Now that she had the ability to think about it, she wondered angrily why she hadn’t realized it was Bellatrix in the first place.

Well, it was too late to regret anything or blame herself Anne thought grimly; but as long as they were going to duel, she would do it properly.

Besides, Anne knew that Bellatrix was already at a disadvantage. If there was any fatal mistake Bellatrix could have made beforehand, it was giving her the motivation of seeing Remus alive and well once more. With this powerful will burning like a flame of hope within her, Anne felt as if she could duel Bellatrix a dozen times and over.

Even with her hate for Bellatrix, she knew she couldn’t kill her, but that didn’t mean that she wouldn’t go down without a fight. She would do anything to stall Bellatrix from carrying out her plans to destroy her loved ones.

Bellatrix turned her wand upon Anne. There was an eerie flush creeping up her pale face.

“I hope you have some energy left,� she smirked. “Otherwise, you might not even last five minutes.�

“I hope you don’t chatter so much during our duel, or else I’ll have to start by cutting off your tongue,� Anne whispered back in a tone bubbling over in hate and fury.

The two girls gazed at each other for a fraction of a moment. In those few milliseconds was the final unuttered resolution between the two that their partnership was completely severed. There was no hope of restoring the past in the present. The folly friendship from what seemed like a millennia ago was finally and completely destroyed.

They blinked.

Bellatrix suddenly made a vicious horizontal slash at Anne, who immediately parried it with a vertical one. The force of the collision of the two curses created an enormous flash of purple luminescent light as bright as lightning. It cracked the blackness, and the sound produced resonated through the empty void, piercing it like a peal of rolling thunder. Both girls shielded their eyes against the burning light.

As the dazzling light threw itself over the two girls momentarily, it dawned upon Anne. With a jerk of realization, a sudden thought occurred to her.

As the light swiftly receded, Bellatrix ran out from seemingly nowhere and charged at Anne. Her wand was burning with black and purple flames, and there was a twisted look of loathing and insanity carved into her face. She lifted her blazing wand high above her head before bringing it forcefully down upon Anne.

Anne quickly created a large, dome-shaped shield about herself. It cracked as Bellatrix’s flaming wand crashed down onto it. The force of the crash caused Bellatrix’s hand to rebound, allowing Anne to shoot a powerful counter-curse that blasted Bellatrix off her feet. She landed with a sickening thud a few feet away.

Bellatrix screamed aloud in fury and pounded the invisible ground with her fist. She hastily tossed back her dark hair and scrambled onto her knees to get up.

But before she had so much as attempted to stand upright, Anne was before her.

In the blink of an eye, Anne quickly gripped the top of her wand with her spare hand and unsheathed it outwardly like a sword. As she did so, her wand transformed into a glowing blue dagger.

With a scream that carried all her anguish, grief, sorrow, and weariness, Anne plunged the dagger directly beneath Bellatrix’s left shoulder.

Bellatrix’s eyes grew wide with shock and fury. She slowly gazed up at Anne, who towered above her. She returned Bellatrix’s bewildered stare with equally wide eyes. Both of them were breathing heavily as if all the air in the world couldn’t quench their lungs.

“So…you really wanted to kill me?� Bellatrix whispered, as a dribble of what looked like pale blue saliva trickled down the side of her thin lips. There was pure hatred blazing in her hooded eyes.

“No,� Anne replied in an equally hushed voice. Bellatrix’s brow furrowed.

“I never wanted to kill you. I never wanted to fight you. But it suddenly occurred to me that you, who have always been a mastermind at duels, schemes, and the Dark Arts, would never risk your life in a battle like this- especially if there was a fair chance of you getting mortally wounded,� Anne murmured, as she drove the blade deeper into Bellatrix. However, no blood came forth from the wound. Bellatrix forced herself not to wince as the blade sunk deeper into her flesh.

“And I was right, wasn’t I? See, look no blood,� Anne pointed out to the silent Bellatrix. “I realized that there must be more to this whole thing just a second ago. This whole place is pitch black, but if it really was so dark how could I possibly see myself or you so clearly? You and I both know that it takes powerful magic to do that. Only Dark Magic could do this. And if you used Dark Magic to create my prison, why not use it to give yourself protection also?� Anne slowly sunk her blade deeper and deeper into Bellatrix’s chest as she spoke, until the whole dagger was almost completely buried within her bosom.

Bellatrix’s body tensed up in unfathomable pain, but she didn’t utter a word. She merely glared up at Anne, her dark eyes penetrating into Anne’s equally dark, yet far less empty, eyes.

“I don’t know how you did it, but it’s over,� Anne said in a barely audible whisper. “You lost. Now go. Go away and never come back to me like this ever again, or else I might really have to kill you.�

With these final words, Anne wrenched out the shining, pale dagger with a labored grunt. Bellatrix’s hollow eyes locked on Anne’s scratched and exhausted face before the deep wound Anne’s dagger had inflicted began to glow with a brilliantly blue light. Anne shielded her eyes as the light grew brighter and began to spread across Bellatrix’s body.

Bellatrix’s body tensed up before she finally erupted into a scream of pain and rage. She frantically clawed at her wound as the light continued to swallow her. She leaned backwards and began to fall onto her back as the light consumed the last bits of her body, so that she was alight in a pale but dazzling blue glow. Her screams seemed to shake the entire space. But before she had landed onto the ground, she had disappeared.

Anne slowly lifted her hand from her eyes as she realized the blinding light had vanished. Still gasping frantically for air, she looked about her bewilderedly. Her gaze returned to the spot where Bellatrix had disappeared.

She had won.

Anne’s eyes roved over to stare at the dagger in her hand. It was glowing as brightly as ever before. She raised it high above her head and brought it swiftly down in a horizontal line. With a bright flash, the dagger transformed back into her wand.

No sooner than she had done this, the spot on which she was standing above suddenly shook. A strange ripple erupted from beneath her feet and stretched out and beyond into the empty space.

Suddenly, Anne felt the invisible ground splinter. The darkness on which she stood upon began to shatter like fragile glass. Before Anne had time to make the slightest movement, the ground gave away and she was toppling into a black abyss.

As she fell down through the darkness, her tired and worn limbs flailing dementedly about, she knew that somehow everything would be all right. Bellatrix was no longer in a position to harm any of her beloved ones any longer, and that was all that mattered.

A calm smile spread across Anne’s blood-splattered face as she continued to plunge down into the black abyss.

---

Firenze’s hoofs gently plodded through the forest ground as he led Lily, Alice, and Sirius in a single file through the woods. James was still settled limply onto Firenze’s back, and his arms drooped floppily against Firenze’s muscular torso.

Lily and the others kept exchanging uneasy glances at each other and shooting furtive looks at the mysterious centaur, but kept silent.

Lily couldn’t make up her mind whether this strange being was good or evil, real or unreal, honest or another horrific trick. But somehow, as she gazed at his white tail and golden coat, which seemed to glitter in the night, she couldn’t help but feel that she could trust this mystifying and gorgeous stranger.

Now that Lily thought back on it, she realized that every time that she had encountered one of the evil traps set that night, she had felt tense, nervous, uneasy, and horrified subconsciously.

But as she walked along with Firenze, she felt a strange and pleasant warmth coming from him. She wanted to keep following him.

And besides, Lily felt as though she had met him somewhere before, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

Her eyes wandered onto James leaning limply against Firenze’s back.

Well, he looks more comfortable than he did on Sirius’s back.

Lily started out of her thoughts as she felt Alice gently tap her on the shoulder.

“Look at the ground,� Alice whispered into Lily’s ear.

Lily did as she was told and found to her great surprise and happiness that they had wandered onto a worn dirt path. The path however was rough, bumpy, and uneven as if dozens of hooves had created it naturally over years and years of continually plodding across it. The trees gradually began to line up like columns, creating a sort of wall on either side of the path.

“Be wary of where you step.� Firenze’s deep voice seemed like a drop of honey in Lily’s mouth. “Whatever you do, do not wander off of this path. Step nowhere but within the boundaries of this road. We are nearly there.�

“Why the hell would we wander off of it,� Sirius muttered, as he stepped into a particularly deep hole and twisted his ankle. He fell face forward onto the path, eating a mouthful of dirt in the process. A giggling Alice helped him up.

“Because you are a human, and therefore not nearly aware of your surroundings as centaurs,� Firenze replied simply, twitching his long sleek tail and not bothering to look back and check on the coughing Sirius.

“I don’t like him,� Sirius grumbled to Alice.

“You’re just jealous because he’s more handsome than you,� Alice chortled. Sirius merely snorted and shot her the evil eye in response.

They trudged wearily on farther down the path, their steps sending up a small cloud of dust. Soon, all three were envying James, who was comfortably unconscious on top of Firenze’s back.

Sirius was leaning heavily upon Alice, although his ankle had long since healed, and Alice seemed to be sleeping as she lumbered wearily on. Lily’s mouth was slightly open and her eyes felt like they had anvils for lids. The only thing that was able to keep her awake was the sight of James in front of her.

Firenze suddenly came to a halt, causing Lily, Alice, and Sirius to bump forcefully into one another and pile up in a tangled ball on the ground.

“What the hell, Fireballs? Why did you stop?� Sirius shouted irritably, as he untangled his head out from Alice’s right arm. Alice began to howl for whoever was sitting on her hand to get off now, only to discover that her own bottom was the culprit. Lily’s arms waved wildly about in the air, trying to free herself from the awkward scrunched position where her head had somehow ended up tucked under Alice’s left arm.

“Sirius! His name is Fire- oh dear Merlin!� Alice suddenly gasped, as she caught sight of the view in front of them.

Lily forcefully plucked her dazed head out from Alice’s arm, hastily stood up, and spun around. The sight that met her took her breath away.

The dirt path had opened into the most gorgeous clearing Lily had ever seen. There were three small waterfalls peacefully showering down the face of a small, smooth stone cliff into a pool of crystal clear glittering water. The ground was carpeted by long flat blades of soft green grass. A few round boulders dotted the ground. The trees were no longer jagged and unwelcoming, but lush, green, thick and tall. They grew side-by-side and formed a circular border around the whole picturesque setting.

Lily’s eyes gazed upwards towards the sky. The flourishing pine trees bent strangely at their tops so that they formed a green leafy ceiling. However, the very tips of their branches did not meet and came to form a perfect star-shaped hole directly in the wonderful ceiling. A beam of fragile moonlight seeped through the opening.

Lily’s eyes followed the ray of moonlight back down to the ground to discover a large mirror framed with thick entwined branches, which were further entwined with thin small vines of ivy. The mirror was positioned on a smooth black boulder and stood slanted at an angle. Lily noticed that smaller mirrors of the same likeness were positioned against all of the boulders. With a jolt of understanding, Lily realized that the mirrors were reflecting the beam of moonlight against one another, causing the clearing to be thrown into the pale blue light that only moonlight could give.

Lily had never seen anything more beautiful in her entire life.

“Please follow me,� Firenze said calmly, looking down at the three wide-eyed teens. He began to stride across the luscious grass.

Lily was the first to recover. Prodding Alice and Sirius hard in the ribs to make them snap out of their amazed trances and close their open jaws, she gestured to Firenze who was already far ahead of them.

Alice and Sirius quickly gave their heads a quick shake and gave a nod of acknowledgement towards Lily. Lily nodded back and took a step forward off the dirt path and into the cool grass.

She gave a small gasp of delight as she sunk nearly knee-deep into the blades of green, for the grass was much deeper than it had appeared to be. Cool drops of water covered their surfaces, and Lily could feel their refreshing touch soak the hem of her robes.

She turned around at the sound of Alice’s squeals of pleasure. Alice had taken off her socks and shoes. She was causing the blades of grass about her of rustle as she squirmed her toes about.

Sirius leapt down onto the lush floor. He glanced at Alice, then suddenly grabbed her hand and spun her around. They were soon dancing to Sirius’s lively S.M.S.O.B dance routine.

Lily smiled at the sight of her two happy friends, then turned around to follow Firenze. He was waiting patiently for her a distance away at the foot of a large, round, and grassy hill. The dewdrops made it sparkle like a mound of jewels as the pallid moonlight lit it up.

Lily quickly ran towards him, enjoying the feel of the grass brush against the sides of her hot and weary legs. As she rushed past the shimmering pond, she noticed that it was inhabited by many large golden fish happily swimming about in the refreshing water. A couple occasionally fell down with the three water falls, giving the falls the appearance that they were pouring down gold.

She slowed down and came to a stop before Firenze. He looked down at her, his blue eyes penetrating Lily’s own green ones. As Lily’s gazed into his handsome face, she suddenly realized that he looked about her own age.

“Come, follow me. I have things to discuss with you privately,� Firenze spoke in his soothing voice, as he held out his hand for Lily. Before she took it, she glanced back at where Sirius and Alice still were.

“What about my friends?�

“They will be fine. I would much rather if I spoke only to you,� Firenze replied, his steady gaze wandering towards Sirius and Alice, who were now doing a jig.

“I can see why,� Lily sighed, as she stifled a laugh. She placed her hand in Firenze’s, and he began to lead her up the hill.

“His hands are really rough. Probably from practicing his bow and arrow so much,�Lily thought to herself, as she climbed side-by-side with Firenze up the narrow stone steps concealed by the long blades of grass.

They soon came to the top, and Lily once again gave a gasp of delighted surprise.

A few feet ahead, stood an aged stone wall bordered with flourishing bamboo. A wide cracked opening in the center revealed a large lake with clear water scintillating in the moonlight. The water was still and looked like a floor of shining glass. Large and black smooth stepping stones carved an even path down the middle of the pale blue water and led to a what looked like the ancient Greek Parthenon, restored in all its beauty and magnificence. Its sturdy white columns gleamed in the moonlight.

“Inside please,� Firenze said, gently letting go of Lily’s hand and causing her to jump out of her trance.

She followed Firenze past the wall, and across the stepping stones. His hooves “clip-clop-clip-clop�-ed across the smooth solid stone. As Lily hopped carefully from one stone to another, she looked about her surroundings.

The aged wall seemed to stretch out infinitely on both sides. Between it and the Parthenon was nothing except the stones and the clear water, which Lily observed to be swimming with large fish also, except instead of gold they were silver and sleek like the moonlight bouncing off their shiny scales. She also noticed that a crescent moon was carved into each stone and on the top of the face of the Parthenon, the same symbol was also etched.

Lily hopped off the seventh stepping stone and landed on the bottom-most step leading up to the Parthenon. She caught a glance of Firenze’s gleaming tail swish out of sight at the very top. Using both her hands and knees, she grunted as she climbed up the seven huge steps leading into the edifice.

She arrived gasping on the last step. She tilted her head back as her eyes followed one of the colossal columns standing next to her. It stretched high above her and disappeared into the darkness. The ceiling was too far above to perceive.

Lily snapped her head back down as she remembered that she was supposed to be following Firenze. She didn’t need to search for him though. In front of her, about a football field’s length away, stood Firenze holding James and his sword aloft in his sturdy arms. Even from such a distance, Lily could feel Firenze’s eyes penetrating her own.

She slowly began to walk forward, her eyes locked with Firenze’s. Her steps echoed on the mosaic floor. The thousands of miniscule mosaic pieces added up to depict a crescent moon in the center of the floor, the same shape the stepping stones and the face of the building bore.

Lily walked steadily on, passing identical, soaring white columns lined up into a single file on either side of her. The moonlight flooded in from all sides, throwing the shadows of the columns down on to the floor so that as Lily walked on, she continually seemed to be changing colors by stepping into the shadows and then back into the blue beams of moonlight.

She reached Firenze at last. They held each other’s gaze for a long period of silence.

Firenze was the one to break it.

“This is a sacred place. Only powerful beings, such as centaurs, have the ability to break into it using extraordinary abilities in divination.� Firenze paused and looked deeper into Lily’s brilliantly green eyes. She remained silent as she gazed up into his equally beautiful blue ones.

“You were in grave danger, much more than you could ever have imagined. This place though, has the power to protect you. I cannot say any more than this, but.� He placed a hand on Lily’s shoulder. “I find it necessary to tell you some things that might help you to solve this puzzle upon which you have been forced to stumble upon tonight.� He paused once more.

“Firstly, I must tell you that centaurs are extremely gifted in the art of divination.�

Lily, who had been expecting some grand and amazing fact or clue, was taken aback. Firenze lowered his face until it was mere inches away from Lily’s. His eyes seemed to want to tell her something, but she couldn’t figure out what. She gave him a baffled look.

“Secondly, I must tell you that this is a building blessed by the moon.� He gazed ever more deeply into Lily’s eyes.

All Lily could do, however, was return a confused stare. None of this was making any sense at all.

“I can tell you no more than this,� Firenze murmured, finally breaking his gaze away from Lily.

“This boy, he risked his life for you, did he not?� he inquired after a while, looking down at James’s face.

Lily nodded.

“Then I suggest you return the favor somehow. It is not wise to live in debt,� Firenze said gently, smiling slightly for the first time. Lily gazed back in awe.

How did he know that I have feelings for James?�

“Sleep now. When you awake, I assure you that all will be much better than it is now,� Firenze turned his back on Lily. It was only then that she noticed that there was a large marble table standing behind Firenze. He laid James gently down upon it, throwing him into the moonlight, and placed the grand sword on James’s chest. He positioned James’s hand so that they were clasped around the hilt of the sword.

He turned around once more.

“I am still young, but I know that you two humans have a great destiny to fulfill together. Your future is rough, uneven. But, if you hold to one another, all will be well. Sleep now,� he said, as he began to trot past Lily towards the entrance.

“Wait!� Lily suddenly called out to him, as she jerked out of her stupefied state. Firenze, who was already half-way across the floor, turned calmly around.

“I know you’ve down so much for us already, but isn’t there anything more I could do to heal James?� she rushed breathlessly through the last part of her sentence. James’s safety was all that filled her mind at the moment.

Firenze stared back at her for a moment before answering, “There will be no need for that. Sleep now. I bid you good-night.�

He turned around once more and walked on. The sound of his hooves on the floor echoed about the building. Lily watched his golden body step down the steps out of sight. It was only then that she realized that she hadn’t thanked him.

“Thank you!� she yelled out hurriedly, and somewhat stupidly. There was no reply, but she knew that he had heard her somehow.

With a satisfied sigh, she felt the weariness of the events of the night finally settling upon her tired body. She turned around and stared at James.

He looked like a fallen knight of the Round Table, lying regally on the moonlight-flooded table. The whole appearance gave Lily the chills.

She gave her head a quick shake, and heaved herself onto the table beside him. She was surprised to find that the marble was pleasantly warm.

She laid down and gazed at James’s scratched and bruised face and body. She snuggled closer to him and placed her hand, covered with dried rivers of blood, over his own, clasped around the hilt of the sword.

She kissed him gently on the side of his lips before putting down her head and falling into the deepest of slumbers.

---

Lily woke with a start. She was flat on her back, both arms lying peacefully on either side of her on the scratchy grass. Her hands scrambled across the uneven lawn before she jerked her body up, sat straight, and looked wildly about her.

She was back on the Quidditch pitch.

She looked to her left and sure enough, Hogwarts was standing magnificently before her. She looked up at the sky to see a couple of stars twinkling merrily down at her. The thick clouds parted to reveal a thin crescent moon.

She screamed out loud as someone suddenly laid their hand on her shoulder. She spun around.

It was James.

“What happened?�

---

A/N: I absolutely loved writing this chapter! There’s such a change in scenery!

REVIEW PLEASE!

“What happened?� James whispered tremulously.

“I, I don’t know,� Lily replied. She looked bewilderedly around once more. As she did so, her eyes locked with two dark lumps on the ground.

Immediately gripping her wand more firmly, she peered more closely through the darkness to discover that the lumps were none other than Sirius and Alice lying peacefully on their backs, sleeping soundly.

Lily jumped as Sirius gave a sudden violent snort.

“He tends to do that,� James muttered, scrambling onto his feet and walking quickly over to his slumbering friends.

“Sirius,� James said tentatively, slightly shaking Sirius’s shoulder. Sirius didn’t budge and continued snoring.

“Sirius,� Lily said, a bit more insistently after crawling up next to James. She prodded his nose with her wand.

She jumped once more, as Sirius suddenly shouted, “Butterflies!� And bolted up into a sitting position.

He stared wildly about him before his wandering eyes landed on Lily and James. He stared at them, then stared at his side where Alice lay, still peacefully slumbering, before snapping his head around to face them once more. Before Lily could utter another word, Sirius’s hand shot out and gripped her own.

“HEY!� James shouted, immediately trying to pry off Sirius’s hands from Lily’s.

But Sirius clung on. He held Lily’s hand before his eyes and examined them closely before letting go.

“There’s no scratches, no blood, no…anything,� he said quietly, slowly turning his gaze from Lily to James.

Lily’s eyes grew wide as she suddenly realized Sirius was right. Her hands scrambled over her arms, body, and legs in search of the deadly wounds, only to find all her body parts whole and well.

She paused, breathing rapidly, before hastily fumbling at the hem of her robes where she clearly remembered the jagged branches and Harpies tearing through, only to discover that her robes were still in one piece, as whole as they were before her memory of entering the forest.

She snapped her head up to find Sirius and James staring fearfully at her. She made a sudden swipe at Sirius‘s hand.

“HEY!� James yelled once more, this time lunging out and trying to tear Lily’s hand from Sirius’s. Lily merely shoved him aside and peered intently at Sirius’s hand as he had done with hers.

There was no trace of a wound. The oozing glowing pus from before had completely vanished. His skin was as smooth as it ever was. Lily’s dumb-founded eyes looked up and saw an equally confused and shocked look upon Sirius’s face.

They stared at each other for a moment before simultaneously turning their heads to face James. They glanced at each other once more before lunging out at a James and pinning him to the ground. Their hands immediately began patting down his entire body, frantically searching for the deep wounds the Manticore had inflicted. He flailed about and yelled with all his might to let go, but to no avail.

His continual shouts soon aroused Alice, who muttered something about being tired and not wanting to do the stupid jig anymore, before rubbing her eyes and sitting up. She looked about her, just as the others, had done and spotted Lily and Sirius still wrestling down and searching the floundering James.

“OH MY GOD!� she screamed, causing the others to jump off of James, who quickly scooted a couple feet away. She rushed over to them and began checking them for wounds just as Lily and Sirius had done.

Once she realized there were no wounds to be found, Alice stared at the three, a stunned and shaken expression on her face, before bursting into tears and throwing herself upon Lily. Lily felt her throat grow tight as she returned the warm embrace, remembering with a shudder how cold the one she had shared with Alice’s morbid replica had been.

James and Sirius likewise embraced each other briefly, thumping hard on each other’s back.

All the commotion seemed to have awakened another unnoticed being however, for there was a sudden rustling of grass a few feet behind the group.

At the new sound, the relief that had swept over the four vanished instantly, and all of them immediately whipped out their wands. They spun around in unison, wands held aloft and aimed directly in front of them, to face the being lurking in the darkness.

They found themselves not aiming at some horrific creature, however, as they had surmised they would be.

There was a stunned silence as everyone found themselves staring at none other than the one and only Anne.

She too had her wand out and poised to attack, but as she squinted through the darkness, she suddenly realized who stood before her. Her whole body froze with the shock of seeing such a welcoming sight.

“Anne!� Lily and Alice screeched, throwing aside their wands and running up to her.

Anne’s arms seemed to have forgotten to move, and she was still paralyzed in her stance with her wand up, as Lily and Alice hurled themselves onto her and buried her in a tearful embrace.

Anne blinked. Her shaking hands reached out and began to touch Lily and Alice’s faces, as though to make sure that they were real. She began to laugh tremulously as she realized that they were not a mirage and wrapped her arms around their necks.

The three of them were soon crying heavily onto each another‘s shoulders. James and Sirius watched with watery eyes, both staring up at the cloudy sky in an attempt to hold back their tears of relief and happiness.

Another sound of rustling caught their attention.

They all immediately twisted around to find none other than Remus, awakening from what looked like a very bad nightmare. He got up awkwardly on to his feet, as if he had not stood on solid ground for a while, before slowing pivoting on the spot to discover all his friends gawking at him.

He looked at each of them as though he had just emerged from a dizzying and terrible trance, before his eyes came to rest on Anne.

The two exchanged a silent, profound gaze. As Lily gazed intently upon them, she could almost see the hundred unspoken thoughts being passed between them. A look of such deep sorrow, relief, and love lighted upon their countenances, and Lily felt more tears well up unexpectedly in her eyes. She suddenly realized how much those two loved each other.

James, Sirius, Alice, and Lily gazed silently at the two.

“Anne,� Remus said in a trembling voice, searing the silence.

Anne stood rooted to the ground, as if she had unexpectedly been stunned. She gave a quiet sob before suddenly bolting towards Remus and wrapping her arms securely around his neck.

Remus hesitated.

Then suddenly, his frozen expression fell, and he broke down completely. He threw his arms around Anne and drew her tightly into him. Tears streamed down his face onto her shaking shoulders.

“I love you. I can’t stop, Moony, no matter how hard I try. I love you,� Anne said into his ear ever so quietly, so that her whisper was only audible to him. “I tried not to. I know we shouldn’t, but I just can’t. It’ll be hard, I know. But if we love each other, what does it matter? I love you. I’m…� Anne hesitated.

“I’m brave enough now.�

Remus shut his eyes tightly. How he wished he could return those precious words! Everything inside him was squirming and writhing like enflamed snakes, all trying to burst from his mouth and end both his and Anne’s suffering. He wanted her. He wanted her more than anything in the world.

For a moment, his lips seemed to be on the verge of capturing Anne’s in a sorrowful and longed for kiss.

But even after the events of the night, even though his passion was roaring insanely inside his chest, he knew he couldn’t do it. He just couldn’t. It wouldn’t be right. It would just harm Anne. It would make her life so much harder than it had already been…

He suddenly tore away from her.

More silent tears ran down his face, as he thought he heard Anne’s heart being ripped in half.

“Come on. We have to get back to the castle. It’s not safe out here,� he said.

Anne stood fixed to the ground as he stepped past her and the others.

Hot tears were dripping down her cheeks.

“Let’s go. It’s not safe out here,� he repeated to the others. His voice seemed on the verge of snapping in two.

They all stared at him as he walked past them and towards the castle steps.

Lily’s expression looked as if she were debating whether to cry or to save it until after she had slapped Remus. Why on earth was he always turning Anne away when it was so clear that they were meant for each other? Was he crazy? Did he have to loose Anne forever to finally see what a big mistake he was making?

She glanced at Alice next to her. With both hands clasped over her mouth, she looked like she was stuck half-way between a silent grieving scream and a frustrated groan.

Sirius and James were staring fixedly at the ground. They exchanged significant looks before following Remus.

Lily and Alice looked at each other and then at Anne, who was still standing in the same position Remus had left her in. Lily could see her shoulders trembling despite her effort not to cry.

The two girls walked cautiously toward their friend, rather as if they were approaching a frightened or injured doe. Both of them gently placed a hand on either one of her shaking shoulders.

“Anne, honey, it’s not safe here,� Alice said in her familiar soothing tone, trying with all her might to keep the sorrow she felt flooding her heart out of her voice.

“Anne, you’re cold. Let’s go inside. We’ll warm up,� Lily said kindly, likewise trying to keep her voice steady and even.

Anne didn’t budge.

Lily and Alice exchanged looks once more, before firmly planting their free hand on Anne’s arms. They forcefully steered her towards the castle. Lily could see James and Sirius waiting for them at the top of the steps. Remus had already disappeared into the castle.

They were halfway across the lawn before Anne suddenly pulled herself sharply out of her friends’ grips.

“I can walk for myself.� Her tone sounded mutinous, and there was a note of harshness that Lily recognized. It was the sound Anne’s voice took on when she was bottling down some unfathomable sorrow.

Anne drew in a deep sigh and closed her eyes. When she re-opened them, they were no longer tearful, and there was a stoic and blank look upon her face. She began walking towards the castle, her robes swishing silently behind her.

The three of them walked individually and silently into the castle.

As she finally stepped within the warm and secure walls, Lily felt as if she were walking into the arms of a long-lost guardian angel.

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while! This chapter's been sitting in my word processor for quite some time now but I've been too busy to go and edit it! I hope you liked it! There's some big clues in this chapter that foreshadows future events!
PLEASE REVIEW!!!!

A/N: so sorry for the interminably long wait! It's been months since I posted! But school and pneumonia does that to a person! Well, here it is! Hope you enjoy!

“Wait, wait, wait, wait,� James blurted out, interrupting Lily’s explanation of the events that had taken a hold of them that night.

All six of them had run quickly up to Gryffindor Tower upon re-entering the castle, casting fearful glances behind them as if they expected Voldemort himself to pop out of a suit of armor. Panting for breath, they had arrived at the common room and had perambulated slowly about, absorbed in their individual thoughts, before sitting down one by one in front of the comforting blazing common room fire.

It had been silent for quite some time before James had requested to hear the whole story. Lily soon embarked on telling her side of the series of events, and everyone listened with every ounce of attention they held within them. Alice and Sirius interjected occasionally to clear up an obscure detail or two.

“So… while we were being attacked by this Manticore, you two-� James pointed at Alice and Sirius, both of them sitting side by side on a large, red velvet couch, “-were being attacked…by yourselves?� James asked blankly. His look plainly asked, “You’re kidding, right?�

“No, James, we’re not joking around,� Sirius groaned, as he sank back into the comfy couch, closing his tired eyes and rubbing them. James’s incredulous expression changed into a look of utmost surprise and horror.

“And, and then,� James said after a moment of silence, a wild and desperate laughter creeping up his voice. “A bunch of half-human, half-bird monster…things-�

“Harpies. They were called Harpies. Firenze told us,� Lily corrected quietly.

“Right. Well, these Harpies…they attacked us…and then we were saved from these half-human things by another half-human thing?� James’s voice cracked. “And this centaur, Fireballs-�

“Firenze! Why can’t you men get it right?� Alice practically screamed, making the whole group jump about a foot off their chairs.

“Right, right. Fireb- I mean, Firenze, brought us four to some supernal place where we all just kind of fell asleep and then, next thing we know, we’re on the Quidditch pitch without a single scratch?� James asked, trying hard to keep his voice calm and composed.

“Correct,� Alice grunted, as she too, fell back into the plush cushions. She laid her weary head on Sirius’s shoulder.

“Right,� James said. He looked at Lily sitting beside him to see if she looked a bit more sure and clear-headed, but she looked just as dumb-founded as he felt. The comforting fire’s flames danced about in her green eyes as she stared deeply into fire, lost in her own thoughts.

“Well,� James said after a while, clearing his throat and straightening up in his seat. “I suppose we four aren’t the only ones that were attacked in the forest, or wherever the hell we went. Anne, Remus… an explanation of your side of the story, if you please?�

He looked pointedly at the two, who were seated on either side of Alice and Sirius and obviously trying very hard to not catch each other’s eye.

Lily looked up from the fire, and Alice and Sirius both raised their heads. They also didn’t know what Anne and Remus had encountered.

There was a long period of silence, during which Sirius shifted uncomfortably in his seat and the others continued to focus their entire attention on either Anne or Remus. Both of them had their mouths clamped shut.

At long last, Remus spoke up.

“I vanished.�

Everyone raised an eyebrow at this enigmatic statement. Even Anne threw a furtive glance at him.

Remus took a deep breath before plunging into his account of the past events. He re-told the amazed group of how he and Anne had been captured and locked away into the darkness.

“Then the black thing slithered up to me. I barely had a second to see it coming, and then…� He suddenly shuddered as if he had been doused in ice-cold water. He put his forehead in his shaking hands before continuing.

“I was alone. Alone in a red room. I felt like I was suspended in blood, only I could breathe in it. And, and I heard whispers and laughter. They told me that all of you guys were dying, that I could do nothing to stop it. They just kept repeating it over and over,� Remus’s voice was muffled, as he had buried his terror-stricken face into his trembling hands.

Everyone had turned quite pale. Anne was now staring so intently at Remus that Lily thought her eyes would leap out of their sockets.

Remus drew in a deep breath as if he had emerged from a pool of water as he lifted his face from the depths of his tremulous hands. All eyes were glued on him.

“And then it started,� he whispered. “I kept…I kept...� He let out a shuddering sigh and gripped his knees to stop his fingers from shaking.

“I kept transforming,� he finally said. “Over and over again…�

James, Sirius, and Anne suddenly jerked up and sat as straight as a board in their seats. All of them had turned a great deal paler, and a look of utmost pity had engraved itself onto all of their faces.

Silence stole upon them once more.

The fire crackled and sent up bright pieces of glowing embers that disappeared into the dark depths of the chimney above.

“What did you transform into, Remus?� Lily asked slowly.

Sirius, James, and Anne exchanged swift looks before settling their eyes and furrowed brows on Lily. Alice, however, turned around to face Remus, a perplexed expression on her face.

“Yes, Remus. What were you changing into?� she asked. All eyes fell on Remus once more.

“That’s not important,� Anne suddenly growled.

Alice turned around to shoot Anne a surprised look.

“How is that not important? We need to solve this crazy mystery, don’t we? In order to do that we need all the fac-�

“I’m sure that Remus doesn’t remember. Am I right, Remus?� Anne cut Alice off succinctly and cautiously gazed into Remus’s eyes; the intense gaze that they fell into shut Alice up. There was a tense moment of silence before Remus answered.

“Yes. I don’t remember,� he said finally. “But, I do remember it all ending. There was this sort of ripple in the place I was trapped in, and it all just sort-of vanished. I was floating there for a second, then I fell. I just kept falling into nothingness. It was only then that I suddenly knew that the rest of you guys were okay. Only then did I get some peace. After that split second in which I regained my hope, I just sort of blacked out. When I woke up, I was on the Quidditch pitch with not so much as a scratch on me.�

All of this convoluted information was on the point of exploding within Lily’s head. What on earth had happened? Had it all just been a dream? But it had all seemed so very real. The pain, the horrors - they were all a sharp as needles in her mind’s eye. But if it had been reality, how did they all end up sleeping on the Quidditch pitch? Had Firenze brought them back? But then how did Remus and Anne come to be asleep on the field alongside them?

Lily’s head began to spin as all these thoughts fluttered wildly about her mind like quarry frantically attempting to escape a hunter’s lethal shots.

James’s voice pierced her bewildered musings like one of Firenze’s arrows.

“Anne, where were you?� he asked.

Everyone jerked out of their individual thoughts to turn their concentration towards Anne.

Anne avoided everyone’s questioning looks. She sat completely still and straight in her seat, her face impassive and her eyes averted to the carpet. Lily noticed, though, that Anne had suddenly tightened her grip on her robes at her knees. Her eyes still boring through the floor, she answered in a tone Lily knew was forced to be calm and poised.

“This is all Black.�

“What?� the others said perplexedly after a slight pause.

“It was her. It was Black. IT WAS BELLATRIX!� she screamed suddenly, all restraint shattered and tossed into the violent winds. Everyone cringed into the back of their seats as she jumped to her feet. Her face was white and contorted with fury, anguish, and frustration. Her hands were shaking so hard that they seemed to be threatening to fall off her wrists.

“IT WAS HER! WE DUELED AND I DEFEATED THAT EVIL BITCH! THAT BITCH! THAT FUCKING BITCH! HOW COULD SHE DO THIS? HOW CAN I STILL BE SILENT ABOUT IT? WHY? WHY? THAT EVIL, EVIL BITCH!�

The energy it was taking Anne to scream all this had rendered her down onto her knees. She gripped the carpet with both hands and began to tear at it, screaming herself hoarse. Tears began to cascade down her cheeks.

Everyone was paralyzed with shock as they sat paralyzed in their seats, staring at their hysterical friend.

No one had seen Anne lose control like this. In fact, it was rare for her to even scream, let alone lose it completely. Nobody in the history of Hogwarts had ever perceived this side of her. This was an Anne unknown to anyone, even to her closest and dearest companions. Out of all the surprises the night had supplied, Anne’s current behavior was the most shocking.

Anne collapsed onto her side, tearing at an invisible face with out-stretched fingers, screeching as if someone was attempting to kill her.

Lily could only watch, thoroughly frozen with shock, as her friend continued to writhe and squirm on the ground as if she were on fire.

Remus suddenly sprang to his feet.

He rushed over and grabbed Anne firmly by the shoulders. She tried wildly to beat him off, but he wouldn’t let go. He drew her tightly into his arms as she desperately flailed about, screaming and crying. Lily couldn’t tell which one of the two looked more immersed in pain.

Suddenly, Anne stopped screaming and struggling as abruptly as she had started. She filled her tired lungs graciously with a shuddering breath of air before her head lolled limply to one side. Her body relaxed, and her wild eyes closed peacefully. Remus continued to hold her tightly in his arms. He was breathing heavily. Anne had driven herself to the state of unconsciousness.

“Oh my goodness.�

Lily’s eyes, still wide with shock, looked towards Alice. She was sobbing quietly, one hand covering her mouth in order to repress the words of distress tumbling out.

Next to her, Sirius’s face looked as if he had run into his horrific duplicate again.

Lily’s eyes wandered onto James, who’s mouth was hanging open, all color drained from his face.

She looked at Remus. If she had been a stranger, who had happened to walk into the room at the moment, she could have sworn that someone had used the Cruciatus Curse upon him. A look of such profound pain and sorrow was imbedded into every aspect of his face, that from just looking at Remus’s countenance, Lily could of sworn that Anne had died and not merely fainted.

Everyone was dead silent.

Lily was the first to rally. She swallowed painfully, slowly wipe the tears from her eyes, stood up, and walked over to Anne and Remus. She knelt down.

“Alice and I should put her to bed now. She’s only just fainted,� Lily gently placed her hands upon Remus’s and pried them off of Anne’s limp body. Lily wrapped her own arms around her instead.

She lifted her face to look at the others. The faces that met hers were all entrenched in shock. She spoke with a calm voice. There was a look of determined coolness and composure upon her countenance.

“As for what happened tonight, I don’t think we should speak a word of it to anyone just yet. We can barely connect each other’s stories, so how could we ever prove that it was real and not just our imagination? People will think we’re crazy,� Lily concluded quietly.

“I…I think we should figure this whole thing out before doing anything else. And I also think that we shouldn’t press Anne to tell us anything for a while. She told us that it was Bellatrix, and that’s all we need to know for now.�

The others nodded stiffly.

“In fact,� Lily continued, determined to keep herself serene, “I think out of all the things we’ve told each other tonight, Anne’s makes the most sense. Sirius said before in the forest that he thought all this was caused by Dark Magic, and now I think it’s pretty obvious that he was right. I don’t know what happened, but I think it’s safe to say that Bellatrix Black was definitely involved.�

Anne suddenly gave a start in Lily’s arms. Her eyes opened a fraction of an inch. As if in a deep trance, she whispered,� I’ll protect you. I promised. Over my dead body. Over my dead body…�

Her eyes closed once more.

Everyone exchanged fearful glances. Everything was so confusing and strange, but one thing was certain, they had been in grave danger tonight.

With a sinking feeling in the depths of her stomach, Lily sensed that life would become much more confusing in the future.

---

The fire in the Slytherin common room flickered in its grate, illuminating the cold stone walls encasing the room. The green lanterns swayed mysteriously above on their rusty chains. They seemed to look gloomily down at the chilly room below as the large black grandfather clock chimed three a.m.

The flames suddenly and violently wavered as Bellatrix Black rushed past, her black traveling cloak billowing behind her. She hurried to the stone door ahead, but before she made her exit, she slowly turned around, panting as if she had run a mile, and let her eyes take in the familiar aspects of the common room that she had grown attached to during her last six years at Hogwarts.

She let out a long sigh, trying to calm her nerves and stop her whole being from shaking. She brought her pale, trembling hands up to her forehead and tremulously wiped some of the cold sweat that had beaded up on it. The fire sputtered once more, illuminating the fathomless fear that filled Bellatrix’s eyes.

As the heavy door slid open and as she hastily stepped out into the darkness, the dying flames gave a last splutter of an attempt to stay alive before extinguishing itself entirely.

---

---

“Firstly, I must tell you that centaurs are extremely gifted in the art of divination. Secondly, I must tell you that this is a building blessed by the moon…�

---

“Lily.�

“Huh? What? Oh…� Lily snapped out of her reverie by Alice, who had gently poked her wand into her ribs.

Lily turned a shade of bright red as she realized that the whole class was staring at her. Professor McGonagall was giving her a stern look over the rim of her glasses.

“I’m sorry Professor,� Lily muttered.

McGonagall shot her a look that plainly said “Pay attention Ms. Evans�, sniffed, then continued on with her lecture.

Lily gave a mental sigh of relief. It was a lucky thing that McGonagall hadn’t reprimanded her, for it had been the third time that week that she had been caught spacing out in the middle of class.

McGonagall’s laxness was no doubt due to the fact that Sirius had tried to fire a powerful Cheering Charm at Anne when she had started nagging about how Sirius couldn’t ever shut up. He had missed and ended up hitting Professor McGonagall squarely in the back instead. He had received a week’s worth of detention.

Even though it was N.E.W.T. year, and Lily knew that she ought to be listening to every lecture and taking extensive notes in minute detail, all of her thoughts could only remain in the classroom for so long before hovering out into the events from the mysterious night which had taken place a week ago.

Lily, Alice, James, Remus, and Sirius had been spending all of their free time whispering their thoughts and theories, but each idea was more confusing and made less sense than the last. They just couldn’t figure out what had happened.

James, in particular, seemed very keen to solve the mystery as soon as possible. He seemed to have taken the injuries the Manticore had managed to inflict on him very personally and spent every second he could spare pouring over books in the Restricted Section.

When Lily had mentioned this uncommon view to Remus, she had expected him to answer with an expression of surprise equal to hers. However, Remus had merely smiled and said, “He’s just disappointed in himself for not being able to protect you for the whole of that night, and he‘s trying to make up for it by solving this whole thing.�

Lily couldn’t remember a time when she had ever blushed more deeply.

James wasn’t the only one squeezing his brains out in the library or pounding the desk in agonized frustration though. All of them had re-traced their steps over and over again until Lily found herself revisiting the forest nearly every night in her dreams. But even though Sirius, Alice, and Remus had refused to tell why they had wandered out onto the Quidditch pitch that night, none of them could make a plausible conjecture as to how anyone could have managed to conjure such horrific things.

Peter had also been giving occasional help. The Marauders had told Lily and Alice that they couldn’t leave Peter out of such an important issue as this and had promptly spilled the entire story to him the next night. According to the Marauders, Peter had turned very pale and his hands had started to shake, but, other than that, he had been very quiet and less shocked than had been expected. He had dutifully been attempting to aid them in their search for more hints within the many dusty volumes in the library, but to no avail. None of them could find anything.

They had also been keeping a sharp eye on Bellatrix Black. There hadn’t been a spare second that passed that week without one of them furtively glaring at her while hidden behind a statue or a suit of armor a couple feet away. But so far, nothing of the slightest suspicion had surfaced except for the fact that Bellatrix looked slightly more pale than usual.

As agreed upon, they left Anne alone and didn’t bother her with anything in case they would upset her again. But then, after three days of silence and avoidance, Anne had startled everyone by suddenly confronting the whole group, apologizing for having acted so stupidly and emotionally, and pledging the rest of her free time to help them solve the mystery. She didn’t say much else about Bellatrix and everyone was too afraid for Anne’s sanity to inquire further about it.

Remus and Anne’s relationship had also returned to normal, although there was a sort of uncomfortable formality between their conversations that had not existed before.

Lily heaved a deep, stressed-out sigh. If they only had some sort of a lead to predicate their search on. Lily had told the others Firenze‘s hints, causing all of them to dig fervently through the restricted section for clues, but all the books, even the most arcane ones, came to a dead end, leaving them all more confused than before. It would be best to go and question Firenze once more in person, but they couldn’t go back into the forest for fear of their lives.

But everyone was even starting to wonder if they actually had been in the forest. All the events sort of seemed like a mere dream now, some terrifying nightmare.

But it had all been so real, so painful.

But then how, how had they all ended up on the Quidditch pitch when they had all split up. Perhaps Firenze had brought Sirius, Alice, James, and herself back out of the forest, but then how did Anne and Remus come to be on the pitch when they clearly had been trapped in some strange dark prison?

Lily stifled a groan and massaged her temples as all these “but’s� and “how’s� buzzed about inside her head like troublesome mosquitoes. She unconsciously waved at the air, as if trying to smack the invisible bugs down.

“Is something wrong, Ms. Evans?� Professor McGonagall asked, staring sternly at Lily once more.

“Oh, no! No, nothing Professor. Er, there’s flies…� Lily gave a nervous laugh, as she swiped once more at the nonexistent pests. She was saved from a sharp reprimand as the bell rang and the din of scraping chairs and chatter erupting from other classrooms within the hall drowned out all other noise.

Lily immediately stood up, shoved her textbook hastily into her bag, and made towards the door to join up with the others to continue their ceaseless flow on new speculations.

But before she had taken two steps, she felt someone tap her lightly on the shoulder. Lily turned around irritably to come face to face with Professor McGonagall.

Oh no.

Lily gestured to the others to go on without her. She exchanged glum looks with all of them as they exited the classroom. Sirius mouthed “good luck� before stepping out.

James, however, stood rooted to the spot, determined to wait and escort Lily. Lily signaled furiously at him to leave, but there was that obstinate look on his face that annoyed her to no end but, at the same time, made her want to laugh at his cuteness.

“Is there something I can help you with, Potter?� Professor McGonagall asked crisply.

“Yes. You can let Lily go so that we can leave together,� James frowned stubbornly.

Lily gave an exasperated groan and ran her hand down her cheek. James could be so damn tactless sometimes…

“You talk to me in that tone again, Potter, and I’ll make sure to separate you two every night for a week by detaining you in detention,� McGonagall replied in a matter-of-fact way. She had grown all too accustomed to James’s stubborn and persistent personality.

Over the years all her scolding had become almost routine, and it was unusual to have a class without her telling off James or Sirius for something or another. But even Professor McGonagall had to admit, both of them were maturing and were beginning to behave themselves more bit by bit over the years.

She stared down James when he continued to persistently look at her and succeeded in turning him away as usual. James grunted and walked out the door, glaring down at the ground and muttering something inaudible.

Professor McGonagall let out a deep breath, muttering, “I don’t know whether I’ll miss that boy or be relieved beyond measure when he graduates.�

She returned her gaze to Lily, who was wide-eyed with expectancy mixed with nervousness.

“Ms. Evans, I wanted to talk to you about your behavior along with your friends’ these past few days. I can’t help but feel that for the past week all of you have been very quiet, which is, I’m sure, very strange when we consider the fact that I also am speaking of Mr. Black and Mr. Potter,� Professor McGonagall said, frowning slightly.

“You are all very bright students, and I won’t hide it from any of you that I am concerned about your N.E.W.T’s. Wandering into space won’t be beneficial at all, especially if it’s been lasting a week,� she said firmly, looking into Lily’s downcast face.

“I know Professor. I…I’m sorry. I’ll tell the others that we should snap out of it.� She paused then said, smiling, “I’ll snap out of it. We’ve just been a little tired from coming back to school after a nice long break, that’s all.�

“Well, I suggest you all get a hold of yourselves, especially you Ms. Evans. The Head Girl can’t be seen zoning out in the middle of class.�

“Yes, professor.�

“Well, get going to your next class then, and I will see you tomorrow in better condition.�

Lily quickly took her leave and hurried down the hall, feeling a mixture of annoyance and guilt. She had almost forgotten the importance of her classes. McGonagall was right. As much as the events of the forest were important, she couldn’t just dwell in that place forever, or she might endanger herself in the present.

Lily gave a huff of frustration embedded with new-found determination as she hurried on to her next lesson.

---

Peter shivered slightly as a chilling draft of wind blew his cloak around, making it swish and swirl with the flow of the wind.

It was evening. The sun was setting in an ocean of shocking pink and orange. Peter’s small feet crunched across the floor of dry leaves strewn on the ground as he quietly made his way into the Forbidden Forest.

As he wound himself between the tall trees, he numbly thought of all the events that had happened in the past week.

Exactly a week ago, he had tracked down Bellatrix in order to soak in some more of her radiant beauty and charisma only to witness a side of her that he had thought unimaginable.

He started shaking just thinking about it. What she had done- or at least tried to do- was definitely against school rules. In fact, he thought as another shiver ran down his spine, he wasn’t all too sure whether it had been legal. He wouldn’t have been at all surprised if what she had done was worthy of a term in Azkaban. And the fact that she had been trying to do it to his own friends…

Peter shakily stumbled into a dark clearing. As he set foot on the soft ground, he felt himself relax a bit. He always felt himself relax in here. He breathed in deeply, filling himself with the crisp aroma of the pine trees and the cool air. His shoulders released some of the tenseness it had been carrying all week.

He pulled out his wand and waved it. A large raw steak appeared in mid-air and landed with a thud in front of him. He levitated it into the middle of the clearing then sat down on the ground to wait.

As he did, he reflected on how the others had approached him and told him everything down to the very last detail, never once guessing that the real reason the blood was draining from his face was because he already knew the whole story. In fact, he knew more than they could possibly imagine. They didn’t know that he had followed Bellatrix and witnessed everything. They didn’t know that he had snuck back from the forest into the dormitories well past two in the morning in the guise of a rat…

Day after day he had forced himself to be quiet and feign innocent ignorance, but it was becoming a lot harder to do. The guilt that he wasn’t giving all of them the key to the mystery was racking him every minute of every hour of every day. It haunted him in the nights and crept into his dreams. He felt as if he were slowly drowning in a sea of shame. As each day passed, he felt more and more ashamed at the thought that although his friends had put their complete trust and faith in him, he was continually choosing to ignore their loyalty and keep quiet.

Why was he not spilling the truth out? He had asked himself this query every time the guilt had swelled into him and each time he answered himself, even more shame filled him. The answer was simple- Bellatrix.

The memory of when he had fallen in love with her consumed him every time that he had tried to open his mouth and tell the truth. Deep down, he knew that if he told another soul about what she had done, he would lose her forever. If he played his cards right, if he kept quiet in front of his friends and then told Bellatrix that he had seen everything yet remained silent, he might yet get her to see him as the strong and loyal type of man he had always wanted to be seen as.

And if she still didn’t see him that way, he could even blackmail her into going on just one date with him, although that was the very last option he was willing to take.

But was he still willing to love her when she had tried to do something so cruel, so sadistic? Was he to choose the love of his life and the one chance he might ever get to woo her over his best friends?

He was saved the responsibility of answering himself when he heard a familiar rustling in the bushes to his left.

Now here’s someone who doesn’t care whether I’m tall, dark, and handsome.

“Hullo Tenebrus.�

A thestral had just emerged from the brambles and was walking serenely towards him. It twitched its glossy black tail and shook back its dark mane before nuzzling Peter on the cheek as a greeting and making its way towards the meat, stretching its long leathery wings on the way.

Peter always thought it a bit ironic that thestrals brought him relaxation and relief. Most people were nearly frightened to death by them, but he thought they had a gothic kind of charm that brought a strange calming effect. He loved everything about them, from their strange bony appearance, to their large, bat-like wings. It was queer that he, the most cowardly of the Marauders, could find the so-called living omens of death so beautiful. However, he couldn’t help but like them. The way people rejected them and misunderstood them reminded him forcefully of himself.

He had come to this clearing to meet the thestrals ever since he first saw them in one of his Care of Magical Creatures lessons some years before. It was a place where he could be alone from all the others and sit down and just think.

He heard another rustle behind him.

Thinking it was another thestral, he turned around to greet it. But when he had turned, he found himself looking directly at not a thestral, but Anne.

There was a stunned silence.

“Peter? What on earth are you doing here?� Anne asked in a voice that pronounced the astonishment she was feeling.

“I was about to ask you the same thing,� Peter said, closing his jaw which had dropped upon seeing her. He had always been a bit intimidated by Anne, and he found himself hoping that his tone of voice had managed to mask the wave of annoyance, fear, and surprise that had just washed over him.

“I- I wasn’t aware that anyone else cared to come to this place,� Anne said, recovering herself.

There was an awkward, stifling sort of silence.

Anne broke it by clearing her throat and walking over to Tenebrus to pat his mane.

“I came here to see the thestrals. Why are you here?� she asked again, this time more calmly and politely.

“Oh, well, I just…I dunno…just come here sometimes…� Peter mumbled. He was starting to feel stupid.

“Just come here sometimes, eh? Yeah, me too. The thestrals give me a bit of peace. Do they do that for you too?� Anne asked, smiling at Peter.

“Yeah…yeah, they do,� he answered, a bit surprised that he was actually able to connect with Anne on one level.

A silence passed once more, during which two more thestrals came into the clearing. Peter conjured some more meat and started to feed them.

“You know,� Anne spoke up suddenly, causing Peter and both thestrals to look up, “I think a lot of people would be surprised that you and I find thestrals so interesting. Well, maybe not me so much,� Anne added as an afterthought, slightly smiling to herself.

As Peter looked more closely at her, he suddenly noticed how very strained and dejected she looked. He wasn’t sure if it was the trick of the trees’ shadows but he thought he could see bags under her eyes, and there was definitely less luster in her spiky hair. All these characteristics didn’t fit her spit-fire personality at all, and Peter continued to stare at her until her voice brought him back to consciousness.

“But a lot of people seem to find you very cowardly, and I find that surprising. They‘d probably think that you‘re too scared to come near them or something stupid like that,� she said bluntly.

“Why does that surprise you? I am cowardly,� Peter muttered spitefully before he could stop himself.

“What on earth are you talking about?� Anne asked in a genuinely shocked voice, turning around to face Peter. “How can you say that? You’re one of the Marauders!�

“That doesn’t mean I’m automatically brave!� he shot back, surprising himself.

“Why? For God’s sake, I think anyone who can handle Sirius’s personality for more than two hours has more strength than any normal person.�

Peter laughed, surprising himself yet again in the process.

“But in all seriousness,� Anne said after their laughter had died out, “I know you must get stressed out from all the jokes and things Sirius and James do to you. I know I would,� she said quietly.

“How…how did you know?� Peter whispered in astonishment. “I didn’t think anyone…noticed me.�

“I notice a lot more things than you think. I have Bella to thank for that,� she said, a glimpse of sadness flickering across her face.

Peter stood still. He had never expected Anne of all the people in the world to take notice of what he was feeling.

“But you handle all of it very well. You’ve got to be strong to do that, and if you’re strong, I think you’re brave too.� Anne paused then added in a strangled sort of voice, “And… and you stay by Remus too. That’s brave.�

Peter didn’t know what to say. There was another long silence, broken periodically by the cracking of bones as the thestrals chomped through the red meat.

“I also wanted to thank you, Peter,� Anne said after a while. “Thank you for helping us try to solve this whole mystery thing. It means a lot to me and the girls.�

“No! Oh no, it’s nothing. We’re…� Peter looked deeply into Anne’s sharp black eyes.

“We’re all in this together.�

“Yeah. Yeah, we are,� Anne smiled.

Peter hesitated and then smiled back.

“Well, I’m sorry Peter. I must have intruded in on your quiet time! I’ll leave you alone now and come back myself a bit later,� Anne said.

“What? No! You weren’t intruding!� Peter said awkwardly, taken aback at Anne’s abrupt proposal to leave. Truth be told, he didn’t know whether he wanted her to stay or to go away.

“No, no. That’s quite all right. Well, I suppose I’ll be seeing you in the library since that’s where all of us tend to meet each other these days. Dear God, I’m telling you, it’s a damn good sight to see Sirius with his mouth shut for more than five minutes…�

Peter laughed as he waved good-bye and watched Anne’s black hair disappear behind the bushes. He stared at the spot where she had disappeared for a while then sat down on the cold ground once more. He buried his face in his hands and was quiet for a long time.

---

“So you haven’t noticed anything strange with Bellatrix yet?� Lily asked James, as they walked down the torch-lit stone walls, making their way through the castle as they always did on their night duties as Head Boy and Girl. As much as both of them had wanted to ignore their duties and continue their hunt for clues in the library, Lily had insisted that they fulfill their responsibilities upon having her talk with Professor McGonagall.

“No,� James said, letting out an aggravated sigh. “I just don’t get it. This is all so confusing, and it’s not like we can even tell someone. I mean, who would believe us? It’s not like we have any solid proof or anything,� he muttered. Lily nodded in agreement.

As she did so, she found herself glancing furtively at James. In the millions of times she had re-played all the events of the forest inside her mind’s eye, she couldn’t help but revisit all the times she had been worried to death about James and his safety.

If there was one positive outcome from the events in the forest, it was Lily’s new confidence about her feelings for James. She was sure of it now.

I love him. I love him more than I ever thought or thought I’d think.

Lily didn’t even blush as this thought re-occurred in her head. She had finally come to accept it with firm resolve. She had finally realized it even before entering the forest, but she hadn’t felt so firm about it as she did now. When all those horrible things had happened, the blow of realizing how precious he was to her had hit her hard. When they had finally reached the holy sanctuary Firenze had brought them to, her conversation with Firenze had helped her accept the truth with even firmer certainty.

From then on, she had decided it was time to really get a strong and quick move on with her relationship with James. Before then, she had been a bit fidgety about the whole thing, but now she was completely sure that she was ready.

“James,� Lily spoke up, her heart rate and blood pressure going up considerably due to the excitement beginning to bubble up within her. James looked at her.

“James, I… I don’t know where to start,� she said somewhat lamely. She halted in her tracks.

“Hmmm…it would be a bit strange if I just told him so suddenly. He’d probably have a heart attack if I just blurted out that I love him... Best would be to lead gradually into it,�Lily determined, as she looked into James’s innocently questioning face.

But Lily failed to think of what to start up as a nice conversation, so she decided to ask something about the happenings in the forest, since that was all they had been talking about that whole week.

“Er… do you… think that most of the stuff we encountered were things that could actually have happened? I mean,� she resumed walking once more, “I don’t think you‘re capable of suddenly transforming into a stag.� Lily smiled up at James.

They turned a corner and stepped into a long hallway. One side of it was lined with closed classroom doors set into a wall of bumpy stones. The other was composed entirely of clear glass windows. No torches were necessary here, for the moonlight was flooding the whole length of the hall in its pale blue shade.

The two of them walked steadily down the hall. Lily looked at James, hoping for some sort of an answer so that she could gradually come to the point she so dearly wanted to make. But, much to her disappointment, James remained silent.

As she looked more closely at him though, she thought that he looked as if he were struggling internally with some tough decision. As she continued to gaze at his face, which was pale with moonlight and had the shadows of the windows’ frames thrown across it, he seemed to reach some conclusion at last.

James stopped and slowly turned to face Lily. He stared deeply into her eyes.

Lily could only answer his gaze with a perplexed one. Then-

Lily gave an ear-splitting shriek as a large silver stag appeared on the spot where James had stood just seconds ago. Her scream echoed and bounced around the hallway.

She let out yet another loud screech as the magnificent stag took a step towards her. She unconsciously staggered backwards until her back hit the glass panes with a small squeak.

As she stared with a gaping mouth, the stag seemed to laugh playfully at her surprise.

Lily shook herself and placed a hand over her hammering heart. She gulped and unglued her back from the window.

She slowly and cautiously stepped towards the majestic creature. Its soft coat shimmered in the moonlight. A holy luminescent glow seemed to shine about him.

She approached him with the utmost circumspect, as if expecting him to bite off her hand any minute.

After a moment’s pause, she whispered uncertainly, “James?�

She gazed into his large, beautiful brown eyes. As she sank deeper into his warm eyes, she knew that she needed no verbal answer to know that this gorgeous stag was indeed James. He really was the brave stag that had risked his life for her in the forest.

“Prongs,� she murmured, just as she had done in the forest, except there was no Manticore ready to tear them both to pieces this time. Prongs seemed to beam.

She hesitated, then stretched out her hand and patted him gently on the head. His coat was as soft as silk. Lily giggled nervously, then petted him a bit more confidently as the shock of realizing that James really was an Animagus started to sink into her. He nuzzled her hand with his moist nose. Lily laughed.

She stared deeply into his soft eyes once more before swooping down and kissing him gently on the top of his head.

As she drew back, she felt a heat emanating from Prong’s body, as if he were blushing madly. She laughed as she perceived how very tense and immobile he had suddenly become. His eyes had grown wide and had transformed into two humungous orbs. He looked more in shock than Lily had been when he had transformed.

“If you turn back into a human, maybe I’ll even give you one on the lips,� she said, smiling cheekily.

But before Prongs had been able to register this through his stupefied brain, both he and Lily heard the sound of footsteps echoing speedily across the stone floor just around the corner. Before either one had any time to react-

“MS. EVANS! WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING?�

Lily tightly shut her eyes.

She heaved a sigh as if to say “I knew something like this would happen�, re-opened her eyes, and slowly turned around to come face to face with Professor McGonagall for the second time that day.


A/N: What will happen to Lily and Prongs? What will Peter choose to do? Read and Review!!!